


Finally Home

by Midlstrit



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Lots of Crying, No beta we die like Jared 19, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal Spoilers, i wrote this at midnight, just big spoilers all around, really just an excuse for my WoL to get some hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25905595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midlstrit/pseuds/Midlstrit
Summary: Minerva looks upon the Scions as they awake, and can't help but feel relief.
Relationships: Scions of the Seventh Dawn & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Warrior of Light & Thancred Waters
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Finally Home

**Author's Note:**

> honestly this is me living through my WoL and hugging Everyone because i crave hugs 24/7. also, minerva is an raen au ra, just for clarification

They were home.

Minerva couldn’t stop crying. She had tried to dry her tears, but they just kept pouring out. It started the second she got back with G’raha. She set him down on one of the spare beds in Dawn’s Respite (despite his protests that he was just fine). Tataru had given him the extra teacup while Krile started to berate him for his recklessness. Minerva took a step back, watching all of the Scions start to converse with one another and settle back into their own skin, and began bawling.

It was quiet at first. No one noticed the tears that had started to run down her face. But after the first hiccup, all eyes turned to her.

“A-are you alright?!” Alphinaud asked, eyes widening in concern.

Minerva wiped her eyes. A lump formed in her throat, leaving her to simply nod her head.

“My friend, you’re crying.” G’raha’s ears were folded down to his head. He reached towards her unsurely, shifting as if to get up.

Desperately, she began to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. She sniffled and tried to force back sobs, but they kept pushing their way up and past her lips. Rubbing her face only made it worse. Her whole body was warm and her heart felt fit to burst.

“I-I’m sorry,” she hiccuped, “I’m just- I’m really happy that you’re all back!”

A collective breath was released around the room. Minerva heard someone chuckle, but she couldn’t be sure who it was. She covered her reddening face in her hands since it seemed that trying to stem her tears was ineffective. Her shoulders shook erratically. 

“Oh, come now. There’s no need to cry.” Y’shtola gently said. 

“You  _ just _ saw us in the Crystarium, after all.” Alisae added, a teasing note in her voice. Minerva peeked through her fingers and saw the young elezen shuffling in place a bit. No doubt they all felt rather awkward watching her wail. She rarely cried, if at all. Especially not to the extent she was now.

Her eyes eventually fell onto Thancred. His expression was soft in a way that she only ever saw directed at Ryne.

“Dry your tears, Minerva.” Thancred’s voice was scratchy from disuse, and low in a way that made her worries and fears disappear.

Minerva choked on another sob, then flung herself forward. Being only somewhat mindful of his fragile state, she latched onto Thancred and buried herself into his nightshirt. He let out a grunted “ _ oof” _ from the impact. 

She wrapped her arms around him, relishing how  _ solid _ and  _ warm _ he was. In the First, she felt like she was hugging an empty sheet. Now, she could hear his heartbeat and breathing just near her horn.

Hesitantly, a pair of large hands came to rest on her back. That unleashed the floodgates, and Minerva’s tears came on in full force.

Thancred let out a long, defeated sigh. With weak arms, he helped guide her completely onto his bed, where she immediately curled onto his lap and turned her face into his collar. 

“Alright, alright…” He murmured gently. His deep voice rumbled in his chest and against Minerva’s cheek.

“Oh, Minnie!” Tataru tutted. “D-don’t cry! If you cry, I’ll-I’ll…!”

“M- _ Minnie _ ?!” G’raha sputtered from his bed. Minerva giggled through her sobbing, picturing how red his face must be.

Thancred rubbed soothing circles on her back, muttering out reassurances. He pulled her closer, brushing one hand through her hair and undoing the braid (that was already falling out from all of her trials today). His fingers carded through sandy locks rhythmically. It made her cry harder.

There was some shuffling and noise. Soon after, the bed dipped just next to her. A smaller arm draped awkwardly around her back. Minerva turned her head slightly and saw through bleary eyes one of the Leveilleur twins.

Blindly, she flung her arm out and dragged them closer. Judging by the squeak of surprise, she had managed to nab Alphinaud. 

The young lad sighed in defeat and hugged her back, shifting to be more comfortable. Minerva’s fingers were curled tightly in his nightshirt to prevent any thoughts of escape and to reassure herself that this was real. 

She gave in fully to the onslaught of emotions. If it was possible, she cried harder. Thancred’s shirt was practically soaking at this point, and she wanted to apologize for it, but nothing other than sobs could make it out of her mouth. 

“There, there…” Thancred whispered with a smile. “We’re here now, Minerva.”

More people began to move around her. Another smaller form settled on her other side, close to the headboard. A small hand patted her back and Minerva wished she could grab everyone in the room and hold them close. 

There were hushed whispers around her, going back and forth like an argument. Minerva couldn’t quite hear it over her own wails. But soon, a very hesitant set of steps went across the floor and stopped on the other side of the bed. When the mattress dipped again she looked up.

G’raha sat awkwardly, his hair messy and falling in front of his face. A lot of his extra gear had been removed, leaving him in a simple red tunic and trousers. He looked utterly exhausted, even though Minerva had been the one to carry him back for most of the journey. (Although Prompto, once called, was an immense help. She was going to give him so many Gysahl Greens later.)

Minerva looked up at him pleadingly. His furred ears drooped, and he scooted just a little bit closer.

“My friend, I-  _ eep! _ ”

She yanked him forward and into the cuddle pile. He fell into her chest and halfway on top of Thancred, sending all of them into a sprawling mess of limbs and hugs. The poor miqo’te tried to adjust how he was sitting, but Minerva wasn’t having it. She wanted all of them as close as possible. Including the twins, who had attempted to move away to make more room for everyone. She grabbed both of them and pulled them back.

Minerva hiccuped. “U-Urianger, Y’shto-tola! Y-you both better-better get over here, too!”

Urianger chuckled softly. Some chairs were shifted around and more sheets were moved aside. From the sound, Minerva could guess they simply took seats nearby and were offering their silent support.

With all of the Scions back in their bodies, and G’raha awake and partially in her arms, Minerva cried. Her tears poured down her face nonstop for gods-know how long. She let out all of her months of fear, anger, loneliness, sadness, and relief. She felt as if her heart was torn open, and everything she had ever tried to bury came flooding out. 

Minerva didn’t know how long it took until she finally began to calm. Her head was pounding and her entire body felt weighed down with exhaustion. Her tears had long since dried up on her cheeks, and all that was left was the occasional rattling gasp. Everyone had stayed right by her side as she broke down, only moving to be more comfortable. Tataru had offered a handkerchief at some point.

Her hands still clenched weakly in Thancred’s thoroughly ruined nightshirt. Her eyes were red and swollen behind their lids. Every attempted movement felt as if she were trying to haul a boulder up a mountain.

“...’M sorry…” she croaked, her voice hoarse. “I… cried all ov’r y’r shirt…”

Thancred huffed, patting her back gently. “Do not fret, my friend. I’ve handled far worse.”

Minerva took several deep breaths, trying to muster up the energy to get up or apologize more. But the weight of Alphy’s arm over her back, G’raha leaning against her side with a hand on her knee, and the warmth of all of them surrounding her…. She felt seconds away from sleep.

Reluctantly, she tried to sit up so she could leave her friends to their rest. But she only got an ilm away before Thancred’s grip tightened. One of his hands moved to cradle the back of her head, holding her close to his chest again. Minerva felt her throat close up once more, but she was utterly spent. All she could do was exhale shakily and curl up.

Thancred’s hand slowly wove through her hair. He breathed in steadily, and she could hear the air fill his lungs. It was constant and gentle, pulling her deeper into the darkness that was creeping up in her mind.

Well… mayhap it would be alright to stay here. Just a little bit longer. Afterall, G’raha was snuggling closer and Alisae had dozed off. If she got up now, it would disturb them.

Yes. Just a little longer. They had all the time in the world, now.

**Author's Note:**

> prompto is the name of the chocobo  
> Find me on Tumblr! https://midlstrit.tumblr.com/


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